NAMELESS
by Jysella
Summary: At 13 the KND meet a strange new teen whose outward appearence is matched only by her poorly timed phone calls...OK i have had a new chapter up for 3 WEEKS without a new reveiw. NOBODY LOVES ME enough to reveiw. discontunued until a new reveiw is received
1. Prolouge

Jysella: while as I doubt this will ever end here goes

Numbuh four: here goes what?

Jysella: ::giggles:: why a prologue of course

Numbuh five: prologue to what, exactly?

Jysella: nothing… say your stealth tactics right?

Numbuh five: ::nods::

Jysella: stick around after I'm done with this, delusions you know what to do

Audience of delusions: Jysella, your psychotic authoress, owns nothing but her own characters and clothing

Jysella: so don't sue

Operation:

N.A.M.E.L.E.S.S. 

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New

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Agents

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Make

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Emerging

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Life

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Endlessly

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Strenuously

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Sisyphean 

Six years prior to the beginning of cartoon networks codename: kids next door

In the beginning there were sixty of them. Sixty children ranging from the age of nine to nineteen; all of whom lived extremely extraordinary lives. Rather then lie about accomplishing the typical tasks allotted to ones so young as them, they vanished. These sixty had joined forces, each sick of the tyranny that no text book covered, and, after many sleepless school nights and the rare weekend of talks, came to an agreement. They would no longer bear the oppression in silence; they would fight back. Thus, after that summer of negotiations, the kids next door were born. Chores; school; home: they didn't attend. And the commands of those considered superior on the basis of age alone: ignored. Yes, they alone did what generations of kids dreamed of doing and for it they suffered. It began, of course, in pure innocence; enemies such as the bed-time brigade were easily vanquished in a shower of weapons only the minds of children could produce. But the enemies those children faced quickly became tougher, linked closer to the real world. Sweat shop owners and abusive parents changed the rules, forcing real guns into hands that had formerly held, at worst, sling shots. Soon even the youngest were drawn out of its dream-like innocence in the presence of bullies no child should face. It began innocently, with one lonely man catching sight of five children traveling in a pack. He was young, perhaps twenty, and completely alone. More and more he began to see those five, three of whom were girls, and more and more the thought of them excited him. Child molester, and with Meagan's law not even a thought, not one in the neighborhood knew, until too late. Such things became common place within the agency; the beginning of the end was soon upon these brave teams. Sadly they couldn't even run, as the children, having been naïve in their security, had not used codenames making them easy targets to any who had heard them on a mission. Names became sacred but already there was little that could be done. What had originally been seven teams of five and twenty-five lone operatives were whittled away. In the beginning there were sixty of them. In the end there were twelve. 

Jysella: so that was the prologue

Number four: psycho

Numbuh five: you said you wanted numbuh five to stick around…

Jysella: what? Oh yes, that, about that…::puts arm around numbuh five and begins to walk away chatting pleasantly, over heard are the words "Sachi-chan", "pixie-sticks", and "steal":: take it away delusions

Audience of delusions: Read and Review please… flames will be put to use roasting the flamers. And if you make s'mores use kosher marshmallows the author is a vegetarian and gelatin won't be accepted. Thank you


	2. Chapter one: It begins

Jysella: I actually finished a chapter aren't you all proud of me?

Audience of delusions: ::eep::

Jysella: fine be that way, just read off the disclaimer. I'll just go gloat over my physics grade.

Numbuh four: wait we have a cruddy teenager writing our story?

Jysella: ::glare::

Audience of delusions: the psychotic writer-lady owns nothing except her own characters and sachi's supply of pixie sticks that she stole. 

Jysella ::while glaring:: so don't sue

Sachi-chan: ::tied up in the closet:: MMMRRRPHHHHH

Chapter one: insanity as usual

There was a general clustering of silence about the wooden room as the raven haired child walked up the path in return from her candy run, followed by a sharp intake of breath as the doorknob turned. Moments passed in this suspended state in wait of the doors opening but it never occurred. Gradually one of the hidden figures moved, slow, quick gestures silenced by an orange sweatshirt, in order to better see out one of the many windows around the room. Through the silence one could hear the sound of skin against skin.

"She saw a butterfly" the orange figure said in a subdued voice. Three other voices snickered only to freeze suddenly when the doorknob again began to move. Instantly the room silenced and filled with the creaking noise of a door opening on un-greased hinges. The orange figure, with no time to hide from the doors opening, grabbed a magazine and flung himself over the back of a large chair from which a soft "ow" emanated when he landed. Before the orange creature was able to respond however light filled the room along with a familiar, if slightly Asian, tune. 

"Why are all the lights out?", called out a feminine voice whose source seemed to be the silhouette at the door. Upon hearing no response the silhouette entered the room and flicked on a light. Brightness instantly flooded the old wooden room, blinding the eyes of the orange, wearing figure on the chair. The no- longer silhouette at the door put down a large brown bag and readjusted a high ponytail holding long raven hair from her face, half-way through the gesture she stopped in order to push the sleeve of an overly large green sweatshirt back to it's rightful position on her wrist. Having accomplished as such she reached to her hair once again only to have the sweatshirt slip. After four futile attempts she gave way to groaning and abandoned the sweatshirt, ruffling her already ruffled hair. Beneath the green cloth was a sleeveless shirt of similar color and size. She grinned at her success and began to fix her hair…which was the exact moment the, until then, hidden figures decided to act.

"Surprise!!" they screamed in one voice creating a deafening roar. Shocked the girl released her hair causing it to fall about her shoulders. She screamed and turned around only to be confronted with four of her closest friends laughing hysterically.

"Happy birthday Numbuh 3!!" the four managed to spit out between giggles. For a moment the girl, identified as Numbuh 3, laughed along with her friends until she realized that her hair was still down. Grumbling the girl turned her face upwards and called 

" Why gods, what have you got against my hair being up today?" Which only served to extract further peals of laughter from her companions.

She rolled to the left, barely out of the range of the fiery blast her opponent readily supplied, her second's hesitation cost her a strand of her bright red hair. Cursing under her breath she put all her concentration in missing the next beam and forming a counter attack. The metal weapon in front of her began to glow a bright red and her brow furrowed in concentration.

"Three," she said in a voice heard only by herself. The beam would begin to gather energy from the room any second now. Moments later, as if in response to her thoughts, the room grew icy.

"Two," she whispered for her own benefit as an idea hit her. If she were to jump at the exact moment the beam was fired it would hit the red wall behind it and be absorbed causing no damage to the room or herself. Now all she needed was the timing.

" Three quarters" she hummed at one eighth she would have to jump, if she didn't…. well she didn't want to consider that option.

"One quarter" This was it… her eyes narrowed in concentration and her leg muscles tensed in anticipation. She was ready

"One e…" Her whisper was cut off by her cell phone going off. Briefly she contemplated letting it ring…. Briefly. The consequences of such an action could be dire…. Worse than any she faced

Again she cursed beneath her breath and fumbled for the phone, both out of a responsibility and annoyance at the evil gadget's ring. 

"Yo" she responded once she had located the demonic device. Without warning her eyes focused back in on what was occurring immediately in front of her and her lilac eyes flashed pure fear. The beam had finished gathering, she had missed her narrow chance at escape.

"Damn," she murmured unable to do anything to remedy her situation

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Once the laughter had receded, replaced with the occasional giggle, and the five people scattered about the wooden room were able to stand without falling prey to the vicious plague the party began.

"Numbuh Five thinks we should try this again" a red-capped girl, being the first to recover, stated eliciting stares from her companions. "Numbuh five's gonna take that as a no," she added.

"How about…" started a round boy with flight goggles on his head only to be cut off by the now jumping Numbuh three as she screamed " Cake, cake, cake" and dragged the bewildered blonde in the orange sweatshirt in an impromptu jumping dance…

"Give the child her cake," the blonde replied as his face dropped all color. He was succumbing to nausea quickly but the raven-haired girl was too excited to realize her near fate. Already having anticipated this the sunglasses bearing fifth member of the crew had fled to the kitchen and was now engaged in a yelling match with the matches, as they weren't lighting. As the round boy was transfixed by his nauseated comrade dragged in a circle by the bouncing Numbuh three, the capped girl heard shouts from the kitchen and left to investigate. Fearing the worse she grabbed a wooden object on the way out of the room and placed three carefully concealed gumballs within. Stealthily she rounded the corner and crept down the hallway. She steadied herself by the doorway of the kitchen and took a deep breath before bounding in. Her fears were unanswered, however, as she encountered her frustrated friend attempting to get a soggy match to light.

"When are you gonna learn Numbuh one?" Not having heard his friend enter the boy known to be Numbuh one turned swiftly while holding the wet matchbook out in front of him as though it would some how morph into a strange contraption similar to the device held in the arms of Numbuh five.

"Oh it's only you Numbuh five," the boy said in relief as he returned to his furtive ploy.

"Ah Numbuh one? The matchbook is wet," the girl stated slightly embarrassed the bald boy had not noticed.

"I know that Numbuh five," the boy had responded testily pulling his red shirt over his arm and wiping the area under his glasses.

"Numbuh one?" the girl asked in a quieter tone "Are you crying?" the boy was prepared to deny such a preposterous idea when he realized that the girl would discover the truth later despite what he said at that particular junction. 

"Twelve candles, Numbuh five. She is the youngest of us and she is twelve" he said in response. Her eyes widened when the realization dawned on her. Numbuh three was the youngest of the team having been born nine months after Numbuh one. At twelve she was in her last year on the team. The landmark Numbuh one had met nine months prior and was to come to pass in three months.

"Numbuh one, with teams they usually allow members, even teen members, to stay until the youngest is officially a teen," she said quietly knowing this was a rarely granted asylum. 

"I suppose that's true," the eldest member had sighed though both knew their time as protectors of childrenkind was rapidly coming to an end. It was precisely on that somber note that Numbuh two burst into the room, heavily breathing as an effect of the run between the main dwelling and the kitchen.

"Hurry… Numbuh four… cake," he mumbled, struggling to force each word out past gulps of air. Moments later he had collected himself enough, under the scrutinizing gazes of his friends, to speak in full sentences.

" Numbuh three has gone into a cake-needing frenzy and has decided to dance with four" he paused allowing the other two to cringe at the thought of a frenzied Numbuh three.

"How is Numbuh four, Numbuh two?" the bald child asked. 

" Might want to bring the sawdust," Numbuh two responded sadly shaking his head.

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She hit the wall with a loud thud. Through the ringing in her ears, and the laughter of her opponent, she was able to discern the wet sound of tissue tearing from bone. 

'Stupid!' she chastised herself mentally ' This is where distractions get you!' As she slid down the wall, her skin like paper against the rough surface, the voice on the phone was strangely silent, though she couldn't hear anything through the haze following a blow of such substantial proportions. After what seemed to be hours of relentless sliding down a never-ending wall, when her feet finally hit the floor, she was unable to support her weight, though little, and her legs collapsed. With the collision the now silent cell phone slipped from her grip and clattered across the floor.

'Damn!' her mind screamed only to be joined by her muscles as she rose and crawled after her lost cell phone. 'Now where did it get too?' she thought aimlessly flailing her arms about until 'aha, found it' at which point she looked up to find herself directly underneath her opponent's mechanical giant. 

"Shit!" she was shocked into saying out loud seconds before somersaulting under the beast, grabbing her phone on the way.

"Is this important?" she screamed into the receiver watching her opponent at all times. She would not repeat her previous mistake regardless of her distraction. Yet, even with this determination her mind was on something that had caught her eye during the summersaults. Underneath the robotic beast there had been a panel with a loose screw. Vaguely her mind registered a voice on the other end of the phone and, flushing slightly, she asked it to repeat it's previous statement. 

"Of course I can take another assignment," she said, quietly, into the phone as she crouched and prepared to run.

'Now all I have to do is get under there, unscrew the panel, break a few wires and get out' her mind thought as it processed the information provided by the phone. She shifted the phone to her left hand and rolled under the metal demon for the second time in five minutes. The voice was still talking, unaware of her situation, as she stopped directly under the loose panel. Holding a screwdriver in her mouth she unscrewed the panel but was unable to dodge the sheet metal as it came crashing down. As a result of her second's hesitation a crimson line appeared down the length of her arm and began to seep deep red liquid almost immediately after it occurred. The person on the phone continued to talk, just as unaware of these happenings as her opponent. Her hand growing jammy with coagulating blood she reached into the metal underbelly of the beast and pulled out a yellow wire. 

" That's all?" she asked the phone as the beast ceased to move. There was a loud screech as the metal hinge in a raised leg swung foreword followed by a thud as it hit the ground, throwing the girl a few feet into the air. 

"Yes I'll do it," she continued. The girl calmly turned and began walking to the facilities door. 

"That'll teach you to skip out on a session," she said as the beast exploded. She continued out the door, closing the phone, with the flames licking her back, leaving behind a trail of blood from her injured arm.

Numbuh five entered the room seconds before one and shut the lights. The crazed Numbuh three ceased spinning the already nauseous four when the cake entered it's candles glowing brightly.

"Happy birthday three," the blonde had said before running out of the room, his hand firmly clamped over his mouth. Three cocked her head at his departure, unsure of why he had left, but her confusion was quickly replaced by delight when the cake finally made it's way to the table at her side. 

"Numbuh five says to blow out the candles and make a wish," the dark skinned girl said after the three agents had serenaded the raven-haired girl with happy birthday. Smiling brightly Numbuh three took a deep breath and then blew out her candles. There were only twelve, the same as the year before. Though most years it was customary to place an extra candle for good luck none of the kids next door had believed this a necessary addition to this years cakes as one more candle would make thirteen; an age each of them could feel like a cold weight on their minds. 

'I wish we were all still here next year,' she thought as the last candle went out. 

"Congratulations three" one stated when all of the candles had been doused with one breath.

"Why?" the Asian girl had asked, eyes betraying as much puzzlement as her tone.

"You blew them out with one breath, Numbuh fives knows you know that means that your wish will come true," the black haired girl replied before Numbuh one could.

"Oh" three giggled as she began to cut the cake. Her eyes suddenly brightened as four-crept back into the room.

"Cake?" three offered failing to notice the large circles under his eyes and pale skin. She was puzzled as four clasped his hand over his mouth and ran out of the room a second time. 

"Was it something I said?" she asked as she gave the dark skinned girl cake. Numbuh five merely laughed and walked away leaving Numbuh three as puzzled as ever.


	3. Chapter two: continuing on

Jysella: I am in such a very good mood today, the sun isn't shining, the rain is pouring and it's cold! What a relief  
  
Audience of delusions: you are weird  
  
Jysella: and yet, I'm not bothered by that. Not when I have Sachi-Chans entire supply of pixie stix on me and Sachi can't escape  
  
Numbuh four: I agree with the creepy audience; you are weird  
  
Jysella: yeah well pixie sticks ::begins to pass out pixie stix to everyone that reviewed:: thank you so much for reviewing. at least some people like me  
  
Numbuh five: now why are you in such a good mood?  
  
Jysella: because she, ::jerks thumb at closet where Sachi-chan is:: is tied up  
  
Numbuh five: who now?  
  
Jysella: Sachi-Chan ::looks over at closet where Sachi-chan isn't:: uh-oh  
  
Sachi-chan: First you lock me in the closet to force me to beta random chapters, and I was fine with that since I had internet access and could do oekaki. Then, you stole all my pixie stix, which I could understand.After all you are not blessed with a Nakaru persona. BUT STEALING MALIK'S IMAGE!?!?! NO WAY!! Malik-chan, Ryou-chan, Yuugi-chan, the other Yuugi- chan, and Bakura-chan are all MINE! On yes, for good measure, so is Eriol- kun :P  
  
Jysella: firstly Eriol is mine, all mine.or Tomoyo's really but let's just not get into that.and secondly, while I run away from my psychotic sister, delusions you know what to do!  
  
Audience of delusions: the authoress owns nothing except her own characters  
  
Jysella: so don't. ack Sachi put the phone down.we don't have to call them again do we? ::continues pleading while she runs away::  
  
Numbuh's four and five: don't sue, the authoress has enough problems right now  
  
  
  
Chapter two  
  
Getting out of the closed facility had not been a problem for the blood- trailing girl. Not while she had the rush a finished battle created raging inside her. No it was not exiting that created a problem but instead returning to her room that created it. With the roar in her ears quickly ebbing she could feel each of her injuries screaming attention. Her breathing, previously unnoticed to the dazed girl, now assaulted her mind in ragged formation. The blood loss from her arm was beginning to claim the edges of her vision and the stability of her legs was not for the first time that day, questionable. Thankfully her arm, whose tissue had separated from bone at some junction of her struggle, wasn't paining her at all and, in the corner of her mind she knew this was not a good sign. A cold trickle had begun to make its way out of her mouth traveling down her chin. Though she couldn't gather the energy to lift an arm to be sure she knew it was blood. Steps past the door she collapsed and heaved the meager meal she had eaten before her fight. The contents of her stomach emptied she continued heaving producing brown acidic bile and a rust substance resembling coffee beans. Her mind entering the first stages of shock she saw the blurred vision of sandaled, olive colored feet.  
  
"Fate?" a worried voice called to her from what seemed miles above. The word, seemingly alien to her ears, was beyond comprehension.  
  
  
  
"Fate?"  
  
  
  
She coughed again, attempted to focus her vision, and looked forward, unable to raise her head and greet her soon to be savior. In her line of sight was now a blurred face, olive skin and blonde hair stood to be all she could make out. But even this was enough.  
  
  
  
"'Sy?" she whispered, or at least thought she had. The boy began to shake her forcing her to the realization that the whisper had not made it past her chapped lips.  
  
Worried at the lack of response the boy tried a last ditch effort " sang?" he whispered hopefully, wet tears hitting her cheeks and singing salty pain in cuts she hadn't yet discovered.  
  
  
  
"'Sy" she called again, louder, and it reached her ears a rasped whisper, difficult to hear but at least it was sound. The boy's eyes instantly showed relief at the notice that his friend was still among his world. "Sang?" he said, his face next to her ear amplified the sound and worsened a headache she hadn't known to exist seconds earlier. Seeing the pain on her face the boy lowered his voice.  
  
"Sang," he whispered, "can you move your head?" rather then replying with words that took their toll on he waning strength she nodded. The icy-hot pain that resulted made her instantly remorseful of her actions.  
  
"Good" the boy said and stooped, switching his position, to lift her. With slow, solid, movements the olive skinned boy shifted her legs over his left arm and supported her head and neck with his right. It was an awkward position with the girl being only two inches shorter then him but it was necessary to transport her. Her crimson hair, scrunchie having been swept away in a preliminary blast, swept the floor causing him to readjust slightly and wrap it around a muscular arm. With the slight movement the crimson haired girl winced and, crying out with pain, writhed in his arm.  
  
  
  
"Shh, it's okay sang. I'll get you to the med. sector" he said as he walked quickly. Regaining her sight from the momentary fit, the girl looked up and recognized the olive skinned, green eyed, blonde haired boy to be a member of her sector. One of three.  
  
"Osy' you don't have to." she said weakly trailing off at the look the boy supplied.  
  
  
  
"Sang can you support your own weight?" the girl started to shake her head but thought the better of it and voiced a harsh no.  
  
  
  
"Then let me carry you there" again the girl verbally disagreed and the boy put her on her feet. Sang took a few shaky steps before collapsing a second time. The green-eyed boy sadly shook his head and helped his fallen comrade to her feet. She shook off his help and made her shaky way, alone, trailing blood down the corridor. With a final burst of energy, before collapsing into a silver doorway, she swept the blood off her lip.  
  
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It was long past midnight. The raven-haired Numbuh three was collapsed against a slowly fading Numbuh four. Numbuh two, having eaten more then his fare share of the party goods, was snoring loudly on the couch, a discarded doughnut dropping from his grasp. The capped Numbuh five surveyed the trashed wooden room with a sense of disgust and left off in search of a garbage bag to clean up. Streamers hung lonely in lofty rafters, bright colors fading after the nightlong party. Cups of soda, many more then the party's attendance of five, lay on every surface reachable, overturned and dripping now syrupy drink. A plate, many still bearing a treat that had been tasted and forgotten in place of a more appetizing morsel, graced any surface not piled by cups. Numbuh one had left when the partiers had crashed in attempt of procuring Motrin or some other weak painkiller to alleviate the sugar induced hangovers they would all indubitably have in the morning. Sighing with the enormity of the project laid out before her, Numbuh five commenced picking up left behind objects.  
  
  
  
"Want some help," the familiar British-accented voice of her leader had said behind her, startling the capped girl.  
  
  
  
"Numbuh five thought she was the stealth agent" the girl had whispered handing the boy a garbage bag in answer. The two worked in comfortable silence until Numbuh five was shocked out of her silent thoughts by a cold ice cub on her back.  
  
  
  
"Numbuh one" she squealed in a most uncharacteristic manner, eliciting a groan from the sleeping Numbuh four. The bald boy put a finger to his lip and, smirking slightly, began to once again pick up garbage until he too felt the cold sensation of ice against skin.  
  
  
  
"You do realize, Numbuh five, that this means war" he asked picking up a sticky jam filled doughnut to throw. Before he released the sugary confection from his grip he was met face on with a half-eaten chunk of cake. Whipping his glasses off he was met with the vision of Numbuh five smirking like the cat that ate the canary.  
  
  
  
"Numbuh five knows" the girl said continuing her eager smile. Numbuh one grinned.  
  
  
  
"Well if you think that was funny," he said, concealing a tube of whipped cream in his hand, "you should try this" at this he unleashed his attack but the stealth agent was too quick for his slow movements and ducked before she was hit. As a result the sleeping form of Numbuh two got a face full of the non-dairy whipped topping.  
  
  
  
"Guys" he whined causing Numbuh four to wake.  
  
  
  
"What?" the Aussie cried bolting upright and displacing Numbuh three, whose head landed in his lap.  
  
  
  
"Ohayo" the Japanese girl said at the impact. Numbuh's one and five looked at each other and smirked before turning their combined forces against their newly awakened teammates. Before the first confection was thrown Numbuh four ducked behind the couch dragging a still dazed Numbuh three with him. Numbuh two, however, didn't think as fast as the blonde and was hit with the first wave of the attack. While Numbuh two was being pummeled with various sugary items the two hiding children tallied their ammunition. Numbuh five had done a decent job of cleaning that half of the room and their only hope lay in the few sticky glasses of coke that lay next to them. The two exchanged furtive glances and popped up from their fort, spraying one and five with the sticky concoction. The two were stuck to the floor and resorted to stationary attacks but they were virtually ineffective against their nimble teammates. Three and four quickly took advantage of their stuck fast teammates and pummeled them with their own ammunition.  
  
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The crimson haired girl was sitting alone at a desk in a room walled in by filing cabinets. At the desk in front of her lay six manila folders of varying shades of ivory. Each folder was marked, in block letters, with a different number denoting the folder's contents. She sighed lightly, the sound reverberating around the empty room, and spread the files in front of her to better see the numbers. She shifted a folder bearing the letter "t" and nothing more to the top of the pile, moving slowly so as not to move her right, casted, arm. A thin line of rust colored blood had made it's way through the pristine bandage and was beginning to stain the sling which held the appendage in it's correct position. Sang looked down at the painful mess disdainfully and rose from her seat to get a breath of air.  
  
  
  
Five minutes into her research and she was bored. So bored. Subconsciously she reached to smooth her paper gown. Technically she shouldn't have been out of the recovery room but an assignment was an assignment. She walked over to the water cooler and stared at the so-familiar picture that was pinned behind it. There were sixty children in the picture, a mismatched collage of images supplied by the twelve children and teens living in the underground; all of them were smiling. Bright never fading smiles that stayed on the eyes long after one stopped looking at the picture. All but twelve of those happy children were dead. Sighing sang sat down before her mind could seek out the four pictures that haunted her dreams, and opened the first folder. Five photographs were paper clipped to the folder each bearing a name and brief description along with a note to see file four a or five b with a more complete history. She glanced over the pictures, memorizing their names and codenames. The glossy, high color, images assaulted her eyes, causing the injured girl to blink back with the sheer brightness they brought to the empty room. In an act of desperation she turned away from the blinding images only to be presented with a follow up of each child. She skimmed these promising to go over them with more detail later and turned to the next section, briefly wondering if the torture would end or just stop bothering her. Following the overview of the team was a detailed description of every mission the five had ever been on along with several add on's directing her to folders she hadn't thought to pull. Her afternoon shaping up to be research filled, sang couldn't help but think that the recovery room sounded very fun in comparison.  
  
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Numbuh three woke up and opened her eyes only to be blinded by sunlight pouring in from somewhere. The Asian groaned, put a hand in front of her eyes to block the golden beams, and sat up, instantly regretting her decision to change position. Her head screamed in protest as she moved a chorus her muscles soon happily joined. Her throat felt as though something fuzzy had been stuffed down it and her face felt tight like it had dried overnight. The girl groaned again with this surgence of sensation, mostly pain, and opened her eyes to be assaulted by visions of a trashed wooden room. For a second the girl was disoriented, wondering why her stuffed companions were not within arms reach until she remembered the events of the previous night. Her movements shook a certain blonde out of his peaceful slumber causing him to awaken with similar results.  
  
  
  
"Why is the sun so bright" the raven-haired girl grumbled to Numbuh four when she was sure his adjustment to awareness was complete. In reply she received grumbles. Across the room a sleep hazed mechanic had come into awareness and was trying to collect his scattered thoughts when he heard to voices drifting in from what he assumed to be the kitchen. Though with his thoughts in their scattered state he was unable to decipher more then "rumor, fate, hope, and teen" before loosing his patience with the whole ordeal. Hearing noise in the common room the two in the kitchen walked in bearing bright smiles.  
  
  
  
"Sleep well?" Numbuh one asked mockingly of his compatriots only to receive a face full of pillows as a reply. The slightly more tactful Numbuh five pulled out a bottle of the mystical Tylenol with the all-healing properties only pills of such high magic could possess, and offered around tablets before adding her two cents.  
  
  
  
"Numbuh five thinks that was a wild party." The capped girl received as reply three groans and one dirty look from Numbuh one as she hadn't gotten the pillow treatment. Numbuh five shrugged. Five minutes later, when the magical properties of the pink tablet had come into effect, there was a group migration to the kitchen where they found, to their complete surprise, a breakfast buffet laid out. Numbuh five smiled as the three children, previously asleep, stared in awe at the veritable feast.  
  
  
  
"Well Numbuh five saw no reason for the party to end last night," she said jokingly. In an equal sense of joviality Numbuh two dropped to his knees before the already embarrassed agent and grabbed her hand  
  
  
  
"Marry me" Numbuh five snatched back her arm and the group shared a laugh before sitting down to eat the feast before them. Though, eating was hardly the word to describe what the starved kids were doing, piling mountains of food into their mouths at lightening speed. No, perhaps inhale was a better word for the way they ate. And a table full of food was gone in less than ten minutes.  
  
  
  
"You know," started a content Numbuh three "we have to clean up" several forkfuls of hash browns were thrown at her rather then a response.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
The quiet peace of the room was suddenly disturbed a manila file hit one of the few patches of wall space not covered in filing cabinets and hit the floor. Behind the folder, at a long mahogany table, sat Sang. Her annoyed face was reflected clearly, if slightly distorted, in the table's high gloss surface.  
  
  
  
" This is so boring" she screamed in frustration as she got up to gather her now spread papers. " Why in the world did I ever take this assignment" the papers had fallen on the stark white floor in puddles of two or three papers, their slightly creamy complexion creating the illusion of a stain on the pristine floor. The girls crimson hair swept the floor as she knelt, grumbling about the unfairness of assignments that can't be refused and the aging process in general. The vehemence of her grumbled complaints betrayed her mood to be annoyed in the most extreme connotation of the word. Upon gathering the last of her strewn possessions she stood and brushed her bare legs off; a useless motion that betrayed her bandaged arm complete with a coating of bloody rust. Though she was no longer wearing the papery thin hospital gown of the previous hour the girl remained partial to clothing which left little to the imagination, though the temperature was less then comfortable for such a choice. Her shorts cut off four inches down her thighs, tapering out at the bottom so as to create the illusion of a skirt, while as her shirt clung tightly to her torso and tapered at the top. Every so often the shirt would slip off one of her slender shoulders giving her the burden of replacing the slippery cloth, though she could have gone without the onerous task as her hair, which was remained loose and cascading about her shoulders, covered any movement of the black material. Her red hair created a veil around her face, bent over, as she read the papers. Every few seconds her hand would dart out to make a note on a pad next to her before reverting back to the space beneath her hair.  
  
  
  
"Afraid of bugs?" She asked to no one in particular. From the end of the white room came a reply  
  
  
  
"Whose afraid of bugs?" The girl looked up in shock at the voice, all traces of annoyance falling out of view of her eyes  
  
  
  
"Judgment?" she questioned hopefully, her voice wavering with each syllable. The until then hidden figure stepped out of the doors shadow revealing a tall, 19 year old boy with stark blonde hair and tan skin.  
  
  
  
"Judgment? Now that's a name I haven't heard from your lips in a long while" the boy had said in a good-natured Texas drawl. Sang's until then cheerful yes suddenly grew defensive. Light lilac reverting to a deeper tone of the same color.  
  
  
  
" Funny I was under the impression you hadn't heard any name from my lips in a long while" she said coldly. The blonde boy stared at her for a few seconds before clutching his side and falling in mock death.  
  
  
  
"Touché, truce? Sang?" he asked getting up and offering her his hand. The girl looked at him for a few moments, as though expecting another head to grow from his shoulder and then accepted his hand  
  
  
  
" Man Minos, I've missed you," she said. The Texan smiled and a glint showed in his eyes that truly startled the crimson haired girl, "Oh no Minos what are you going to-" she was cut off mid sentence as the blonde bypassed her outstretched hand and lifted her in a large bear hug, eliciting a squeak out of the now fragile looking girl. He gleefully spun her around twice before placing her back on her feet and planting a kiss on her forehead.  
  
  
  
"Now," he said eyeing her bandaged arm. Sang followed his gaze and then self conscientiously hid the arm. Realizing the uncomfortable situation he was about to lead himself into the blonde changed the direction of his question,  
  
  
  
"Who was it that was afraid of bugs?"  
  
  
  
"Numbuh one" she replied as though any one should understand exactly what she was talking about at the mere utterance of the name. At his raised eyebrow she realized the need to elaborate " a new mission. It's a team of five children who are all nearing thirteen but The Sector" she emphasized the "the" as though it were a proper noun rather then an article. " Said that they were some of Kids next doors best members" the crimson haired girl sighed and looked up at her comrades pale honey eyes. The boy grinned darkly.  
  
  
  
"So are you going to do the maintenance test?" He asked.  
  
  
  
"Of course, what do you take me for, a fool? They'll find out I'm coming tomorrow. But by then I'll already be on the road. now about traveling incognito" she said, her voice trailing off as the two left the room. In her hand Sang held the data she had collected. The manila folders were mysteriously refilled and the room appeared as though no one had entered it. In a way no one had.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~meow~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Numbuh three smiled and purveyed the finally clean common room. It had taken her and her four-team mates the better part of three hours to clean it. Of course the clean up had consisted only of removing all evidence of the multiple food fights and eating binges they had engaged in during the previous day and had done nothing for the general appearance of the room; which was bad. There was no proverbial sparkle of a spotless room, no blinding shine radiating off every surface. No instead there were tables empty of cups and food, they weren't sticky but they weren't shiny either, and there were walls with paint chipping off them in odd patterns; one looked like a rabbit. Yes, the room was clean but it wasn't pristine like the Kids next-door codebook required. Still Numbuh three smiled and, taking her ability to see the floor as a good sign, wiped the sweat from her brow.  
  
  
  
" That was a long clean up" she said to no one person in particular. An exhausted Numbuh four responded by flopping down on the couch.  
  
  
  
" Numbuh five thinks we deserve a break," the capped agent added upon completing the last look over of the room. Not perfect, but not bad. A piece of paint chipped off the ceiling and hit her head. Well not too bad, the capped girl amended in her thoughts as she sat down at a second couch. A droopy-eyed Numbuh two lay down on the remaining couch leaving the equally tired Numbuh's one and three with out anywhere to sit. Numbuh three shrugged and, with an evil glint showing in her onyx eyes began to walk over to Numbuh four. The young blonde was so tied up in his own, exhausted thoughts, that he didn't notice the hyper girl until she was mere inches from his bastion.  
  
  
  
" Ah, three" he said, his accented voice quivering in fear " what are you doing?" the Asian girl said nothing in response and there was a tense silence during which nothing happened. Just as Numbuh four was sighing in relief the Asian pounced and threw him from the couch.  
  
  
  
"Thank you for sharing" she said smirking. The resident tough guy growled at his friend.  
  
  
  
" Oh so you want a fight, well come and get it" with that he jumped on the young Asian and wrestled her to the floor. As the two attempted, in vain, to pin the other Numbuh one crept around them and stole the couch. The three non-fighting members of the team spent several moments watching their fighting teammates in a shared silence before talking.  
  
  
  
" So she's twelve," two said voicing fears that one and five had discussed earlier.  
  
  
  
"Yes" Numbuh one replied, eyes radiating fear even through dark glasses.  
  
  
  
"So what happens when." Numbuh two's voice trailed off. The normally bubbly mechanic was unable to finish his sentence for saying the words would have finalized it in a way that he would not be able to correct.  
  
  
  
Numbuh one began to reply to his friends voiced query when five cut him off.  
  
  
  
" Numbuh five's heard tell of fate coming and choosing some teams to continue to be kids next door members through teenager years" the girl had said quietly. The previously wrestling duo on the floor had ceased their fight and were now paused, mid scuffle, in order to hear the quiet one better. The capped girl, for her part, chose that moment to look down and then she burst out laughing. Both Numbuh one and two raised eyebrows at her and she pointed a wavering finger at the two on the floor. Indeed their position was a comical one, with Numbuh three's legs wrapped around a sitting up Numbuh four and their hands locked in combat. The two looked at one another and blushed lightly before disengaging themselves and moving to sit on opposite couches. The other three waited for this discourse to end before resuming their conversation.  
  
  
  
" As Numbuh five was saying, Numbuh five has heard some teams were being allowed to stay together until the youngest member turned thirteen." At this point every one turned to glance briefly at Numbuh three.  
  
  
  
"So twelve months" four had said after an abbreviated silence, the rest of the team nodded sadly and sighed at once thinking in unison how very short twelve months seemed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~pixie stix~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
The train station was bustling, filled to the brim with people in search of a place to go or, perhaps, in need a different destination. With the hundreds of people inside the grand hall, noise echoed. Young children crying as their mothers attempted to figure out busy schedules, businessmen screaming into phones that had no service, tellers reporting the next time and train fair; all these noises and a variety of others had joined forces. They intertwined, creating a symphony of noise that no one wanted to hear but that assaulted the ears of any one entering the gigantic station and dulled the senses. To any one else this explosion of noise was annoying, something that had to be ignored and later added to, but for one silent fifteen-year-old it was the perfect cover. With everyone within the station wrapped up in his or her own affairs no one took a second glance when the girl stepped into the din. Though she was normally a girl whose looks demanded attention, she had dulled down her appearance. Normally bright, flowing crimson hair had been wrapped up under a blue bucket hat save for a length down to her shoulders, which had been dyed brown. Her lilac eyes as well were hidden behind a brown façade of contacts, specially fitted for her eyes. The blue, aforementioned, bucket hat matched an innocent dress that reached to her knees below which were white stockings and blue sandals. Over the innocent, tank top dress, she wore a floral print denim jacket to hide her still bandaged arm. As a final touch to her innocent demeanor she carried a suitcase filled with summer clothes that hid, among many other things, various files. It was a perfect disguise that no one in the station saw through. Disregarding the fact that no one in the station was paying her attention enough to see the few red wisps that had slipped through her hat or the fact that one arm was bulkier then the other, she smiled confidently and lifted her suitcase. Holding her head high the innocent looking figure made her way over to the ticket counter.  
  
  
  
"Good morning" she said sweetly to the old man behind the counter when she had reached it. The old man looked at her closely for a few moments, wrinkles in his forehead forming a forest around cheerful, scrutinizing eyes.  
  
  
  
"And good morning to you, lass. What can I be doing for ye?" He responded after a moment's hesitation. The politeness of the obviously teenaged girl had startled him causing Sang to reevaluate the way she was behaving. Briefly she toyed with the idea of introducing a slight hint of teen angst but opted to continue on the path she was headed, hopefully it was the path of least attention.  
  
  
  
"I'd like a ticket to-" her voice was cut off by a babies scream somewhere in the line behind her. Its shrill tone seemed to bore into her head and wake up her, until then dormant headache.  
  
  
  
" Well that's a very small town lass, what makes you head out there?" the old man asked, a slight chuckle building at the back of his throat. He had failed to notice the pained expression on the girl's face and the contacts deleted any trace of injury from her eyes.  
  
  
  
"My aunt lives there, she invited me up for the summer" the girl replied thinking quickly. Her head hurt, badly, and her arm was beginning to throb. She needed more painkillers, many more painkillers, but knew the guards of the station wouldn't take kindly to her popping pills.  
  
  
  
" But surely you would rather stay at home during the summer, with friends. There's barely anything in that town"  
  
  
  
" I moved recently all my friends are in that town" sang replied. Her teeth were clenched to keep her mind off the pain and it added an annoyed undertone to her voice. Though the man deserved it for asking her so many questions, why was he so curious any way? Why did he need to know so much?  
  
  
  
" Oh," he had said dejectedly causing his entire face to droop visibly. Through the pain sang thought she saw a piece of plastic beginning to peel from the far corner of his forehead but she hardly trusted the observation. The headache was beginning to claim the edges of her vision and the world was growing fuzzy. Without any more conversation the man handed sang a ticket which she graciously accepted and paid for before beating a hasty retreat in search of a bathroom. With her vision growing blurry it wasn't as easy a task as it should have been.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
In his room, finally alone, Numbuh one sighed and drew his glasses off. Turning to his desk to place them in their protective case he was met with a glaring twelve-month calendar marked with his thirteenth birthday.  
  
  
  
"Three months" he declared, in a sighing tone, to what he believed to be an empty room.  
  
  
  
"Numbuh five thinks your fixating on this" a familiar voice called from his doorway. Numbuh one was shocked at having been met with a reply rather then the still room he had expected. " You should have fun while we're still together". Though he had not yet regained speaking capabilities Numbuh one raised an eyebrow at the girl's statement.  
  
  
  
"Numbuh five meant while we're all still together," the capped agent said, cheeks growing red.  
  
  
  
"Perhaps I am fixating on this five but you must admit it is a frightening thought" he responded, tactfully ignoring her crimson cheeks.  
  
  
  
"Everyone has to grow up Numbuh one"  
  
  
  
"But it's so soon. Why did I destroy that age-changing ray? With it we may have all gained a few more years" A soft red light from the monitor saved five from responding.  
  
  
  
"You better go check that" but the mandate was unnecessary as Numbuh one had already crossed the room and switched the screen on. Instantly it flared to life, flashing grays and blacks at the two as it attempted to reboot. After what seemed like an eternity of silence the familiar message board appeared with a fresh message. Numbuh five anxiously stood at the back of the room, twisting one finger around a strand of hair subconsciously, as she awaited numbuh ones next comment. For his part, the teams fearless leader stood nearly stock still reading the file that had been sent to him, his eyes rapidly scanning beneath the obsidian surface of his glasses as he attempted to make sense of the dull file that flashed before him on the screen. The letters flashed green, reflecting on the wall behind the boy, though not in a manner intelligible for numbuh five to read, indicative of it's importance.  
  
  
  
"Numbuh one?" the capped agent chanced after a moment silence. Numbuh one merely grunted in reply. Several minutes after numbuh fives intrusion upon the silence the bald agent spoke.  
  
  
  
"We need to gather the others. kids next door satellites have pinpointed Count Spankalot's location."  
  
  
  
"So?" Having expected such an answer from the quick thinking agent numbuh one grimaced, his face convulsing into a pattern common to those people who have been in the city after years of country air.  
  
  
  
"He is very close to a playground" the quiet ones features quickly grew to match her leaders and the two left the room in search of the other members of their quintet. Though both were observant they failed to notice the appearance of a second message marked urgent. Every few moments a subscript flashed beneath the bold letters reading FATE.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The window of the train was cool to the touch as sang leaned her forehead against it. Mere moments before she had boarded the train, pain killers in tow, only to find that the child who had restarted her headache was traveling not only in the same train but the same car. Despite her painkiller's best efforts the headache had returned at the first sign of the babies scream. The window began to rattle as the train moved which further deepened the girl's pain. She squinted and drew her head away from the window, eliciting an immediate sting of pain at the loss of the cool surface. Several critical gazes turned over to her at this outburst and she smiled softly.  
  
  
  
"I saw a spider" she offered weakly, unable to think of a better excuse. The passengers seemed to accept this answer as plausible and returned to their own worlds of thought leaving Sang to hers. She sighed and lay her head back on the seat, it was warm and entirely unpleasant but the window's rattling would only worsen the pain, and mentally went over her assignment. Finding the stress on her memory to be too much she removed a file with a detailed description of the first test; the maintenance test. In the manila folder lay a scrap of paper bearing the tests outlines. She smiled as her mind filled in the familiar procedure. Walking in, her first impression on their headquarters was important, providing the preliminary evaluation and determining whether continued evaluation was necessary. Generally in this test the rule of thumb was the messier the better as the children were only informed of her impending arrival the day before providing little time for preparing the base. She wanted to observe the children in as normal a state as possible and if that meant mess, so be it. Quickly she did some mental calculations and smiled. The Kids next door sector in question would receive news of her arrival that day; in fact she wouldn't be surprised if they had just received the message. Vaguely she wondered if they were scurrying to fix their tree house as she drifted to sleep against the rattling glass, unnoticed by the girl a thin strand of red hair fell across her face, stopping at her chin  
  
  
  
Sachi-chan: SEE!! MALIK'S IMAGE I TELL YOU ::referring to Osirus::  
  
Jysella: well I didn't do it on purpose. now can we let me out of the straight jacket please?  
  
Numbuh five: while they sort that out.  
  
Sang: ::appears::  
  
Numbuh five: who are you?  
  
Jysella: go away. they don't know you yet. this thing is itchy  
  
Sang: fine ::disappears::  
  
Numbuh five: ri-i-ght well, any ways, read and review please  
  
Jysella: I'm sicking numbuh four on the flamers  
  
Numbuh three: but what about s'mores?  
  
Jysella: anything just let me out of this thing  
  
Numbuh four: whatever.  
  
Jysella: fine Sachi you don't let me out and I don't tell you where your candy is. put down that knife. I was just kidding.Sachi. delusions take it away  
  
Audience of delusions: read and review. please. and flamers use the kosher marshmallows. no gelatin allowed  
  
Jysella: oh wait I actually have a vote this chapter. if Sachi would just take the knife out of my back. thank you.I can breathe again. okay should the kids next door:  
  
A. return in time to read the letter and be expecting sang  
  
B. show up and find sang on their doorstep 


	4. Chapter three: the timing of phone calls

Jysella: well.I'm back and it only took me a whole summer  
  
Numbuh four: cruddy teenager  
  
Jysella: I had other issues to deal with:: moves arm revealing a tattered straight jacket::  
  
Sachi: ::smiles triumphantly holding pixi-stix::  
  
Numbuh five: can we just move on with the story?  
  
Jysella: yes, no wait. this chapter is dedicated to paparazzi because. well I'm sure I had a reason  
  
Audience of delusions: she dedicated a chapter to you?  
  
Jysella: oh yeah.. Well anyway I own nothing except my characters. the clothes on my back were repossessed  
  
Audience of delusions: so don't sue.  
  
Numbuh three: you flipped it  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter the third  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Innocence. Pure innocence, that was the only way she was described. Walking through the train station in her pure blue dress, buying tickets, pristine stockings gleaming, and sleeping on the train with her hair flailing about her shoulders she looked innocent. She was supposed to look innocent. Wandering up a desolate street with her large suitcase bearing it's weight on her hurt arm she didn't wince, a sweet smile remained on her face. The same smile that still graced it as she stood at her destination staring up at a large tree house protruding from a house that no one in the neighborhood seemed to perceive as odd. She walked up the broken overgrown concrete pathway and rang the doorbell wondering vaguely why the team hadn't assembled to meet her.  
  
As she waited, the girl glanced about the yard with a practiced eye. The toys scattered about, hidden in the overgrown grass, screamed the presence of five distinct personalities but did little to attract the eye. Indeed the toys hardly seemed to overfill the yard and many of them lacked the air of permanence toys belonging to the household bore. Mentally the girl noted these observations before turning her attention back to the door, the still closed door.  
  
'Where the hell are they' she wondered readjusting her suitcase. The weight settled uncomfortably on her left side and she contemplated putting it down. but only briefly; Her thoughts were interrupted by a chill wind and she shivered in spite of herself. Though it was august, it was chilly and, to top the frigid air, the sun was lowering in its peak.  
  
'I've been here five minutes', she thought impatiently ' why aren't they here' she glanced about the yard once more, noting various imperfections that would have been glanced over had her mood been better, and settled herself on the stoop. Her medicine was beginning to wear off and she suspicion the chill had as much to do with her steadily declining disposition as it did the weather.  
  
Her mind ached from the day's activity and she longed for a hot shower. Her head pounding as it was she saw no reason why she should torment her senses further by keeping her accursed brown lenses in. Carefully she reached a shaking hand to her eye and removed the brown film revealing the bright lavender orb beneath. She sighed with instant relief and sunk further to the stoop, releasing a frosty batch of steam to the night air.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Beaten and battered, worn and bruised, they returned. Limping their way up the street rubbing their backsides with a variety of painful expressions clouding normally cheerful twelve-year old faces. They were tired, the five of them, after a day of fighting foes they were hardly able to vanquish, and it was tiring. Numbuh one, walking at a clip far slower then he usually favored, kept his eyes fixated on a never moving spot in front of him, forcing his chin and bald head to be tilted forward. Beside him limped Numbuh five, her braid, having come apart at some junction in the fight, was spewing crooked strands of black wire that normally passed for her hair, the girls hat was torn in places that were matched on her shirt and shorts. She was in bad shape but her clothes appeared brand new when compared to the remainder of Numbuh three's shirt. The cheerful Asian girl was leaning against the blonde Australian, her hair held out of her dirt- smudged face by a torn strand of green fabric. Around her arms small bands of the same material were tied in an attempt to stave off blood and infection, about her wrist remained the only surviving portion of her shirt. Numbuh four shifted his weight slightly, displacing the girl enough that she lost her balance and fell to the pavement, landing on the cushion Numbuh four's orange hoodie, the only clothes she was wearing, provided. The party stopped the zombie-like march at the sound of their comrade falling and watched through tired eyes as Numbuh four sighed, readjusted his jeans and picked the girl up. She smiled up at him in relief only to have it melt away when she saw his eyes.  
  
"Numbuh four?" she said questioningly, the sound was strange to her ears as it was the first she'd heard since the fight.  
  
"Yeah" he'd answered after a pause, carefully he readjusted his arms and continued walking, ignoring the lagging Numbuh two with broken fight glasses in hand.  
  
"It'll be okay, right?" Numbuh four looked down at her and smiled. He looked thoughtful for a second as they walked, bruises beginning to form around his eye, before nodding gravely.  
  
"Yeah, it'll all be fine" he said, stumbling on an unforeseen crack in the sidewalk causing Numbuh three to squeal in pain.  
  
"Numbuh five is sure she can walk on her own," the capped agent said. Shrugging Numbuh four steadied Numbuh three on her feet and began to walk. Little was said between the five until they neared their base when a figure at the door made its presence known. Dressed all in blue with a large suitcase, Numbuh one passed her off as naught more then a door to door salesman, as she far surpassed the average girl scout height and Lizzie was a little, to put this delicately, out of the picture, but as they grew closer they could see she was far too young for such a job.  
  
"Who is that?" Numbuh two asked the air, as he hadn't expected a response. The others shrugged.  
  
"Perhaps an investigation is in order, Numbuh five," the stealth agent groaned at the task but never the less slunk off to the side of the road and vanished in the bushes. Unbeknownst to the kids next door the figure smirked, 'must be them, right off time', she thought remaining on her post. Numbuh five looked at the shadowy figure, a young girl, as she snuck in. Creeping closer the details of her appearance bloomed; a suitcase filled with unknown items, wildly outdated clothing, faked innocence, tanned skin, brown hair streaked red, one brown eye and one lavender. Quickly she added the information in her mind, "teenager" she screamed rolling from the bushes with renewed energy.  
  
"Kids next door, battle stations!" Numbuh one screamed seconds after the alarm to a back chorus of groans.  
  
"Five" the capped agent called through gritted teeth as she launched a large dollop of cheese wiz at the unknown girl. Sang quickly sidestepped the gooey substance and was about to respond when her cell phone rang.  
  
"Lousy timing you've got," she screamed as she dove from a second attack. Ignoring Numbuh fours screech of his own name she grabbed for her suitcase. "Now where is that damned thing?" she asked no one while digging through her bag. The accursed item rang again as Numbuh four moved in for an attack. Numbuh three sat on the grass in awe as she watched the fight. The unidentified teenager seemed unconcerned by the events unfolding around her.  
  
"Oh yeah," she said, smiling, "my hat!" she removed the hat letting loose a cascade of long crimson hair. "Well that's just going to get in the way" she said taking a step just out of the reach of the charging Numbuh four and opening her cell phone at the same time.  
  
"Yo," she called into the receiver as four hit the side of the house. "What do you mean they haven't read the mail yet?" she screamed over Numbuh three who was preparing for her part in the fight. " Well that's just great but what am I supposed to do" the Asian girl tripped over a sleeve of Numbuh four's bulky sweater and hit the grass, hard. "That won't work at all" Numbuh two looked at Numbuh one, who nodded his assent.  
  
"Must I?" he asked whining; Numbuh one pushed him to battle where he promptly tripped over Numbuh three and suffered a similar fate.  
  
"Well they are attacking me," the girl stated obviously vexed. Numbuh one sighed.  
  
"If you want something done right," he said through gritted teeth while activating his jet shoes. At high speed he charged towards sang with splanker in hand. The girl sighed, "I guess I could do that, but the maintenance test is out" she said preparing to raise her briefcase.  
  
"One" the bald agent called seconds before hitting the large suitcase. Not having anticipated this he flew to the grass.  
  
"No kidding?" sang asked in the newly acquired silence "Okay, great, thank you. Bye." She hung up the phone and surveyed her surroundings. The capped agent was busily helping Numbuh one off the ground, Numbuh four was groggily rubbing his head and Numbuh three was trying to untangle her hair from a weapon Numbuh two had been carrying.  
  
"Sorry?" she said extending a hand to help Numbuh four up. The blonde boy ignored her had and rose to his feet to assist Numbuh three. Despite her confusion the girl mentally noted this, cataloging it as useful information.  
  
"Who are you?" Numbuh one asked, having returned to his senses.  
  
"Fate," She answered simply, "and you've got mail."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jysella: well that's my shortest chapter to date  
  
Numbuh four: lazy teenager  
  
Jysella: shut up I had schoolwork. Yes, schoolwork  
  
Sachi: sure Jysa, summer schoolwork.  
  
Jysella: shut up! ::menacingly holds up cell phone::  
  
Sachi: nyeh, nyeh ^_- ::eating pixi-stix::  
  
Jysella: I'll admit alien nine was, wait, oh I'll get you ::calls Numbuh five:: delusions,  
  
Audience of delusions: read and review. flames will be used for Jysella's homework  
  
Jysella: yeah Bunsen burners are expensive; I broke twenty of them in my plot to take over the scho-I mean when I accidentally blew up the science lab 


	5. Chapter four: Of Ausies and Kiwi's

Jysella: ugg, ::rubs forehead::  
  
Numbuh four: what's the matter?  
  
Jysella: sleep is something people need  
  
Numbuh four: and,  
  
Jysella: sleep is something I'm not getting  
  
Numbuh four: oh.  
  
Jysella: yes, so, anyway. This chapter of nameless is devoted to kawaii shiho for being the only person to bother reviewing  
  
Numbuh five: okay, does the chapter have a title?  
  
Jysella: no, audience take it away  
  
Audience of delusions: Jysella, the psycho whose birthday is tomorrow-  
  
Jysella: I knew I loved you guys  
  
Audience of delusions: owns no one in her fic save Sang  
  
Sang: what about me?  
  
Jysella: I own you  
  
Sang: oh, don't sue  
  
Jysella: so don't, hey!  
  
Chapter five  
  
In a dark corner of a dark room an old man stood before a mirror. His face, with tears of skin folded in seemingly perfect laugh lines, glistened with sweat. Near his hairline, in a far corner of his rectangular face, a wrinkle sagged.  
  
"Damn," the man said aloud, reaching a tired hand up to fix the slipping crease. Halfway through the action he stopped and furtively glanced about the room.  
  
"No one is in here, old man" a voice called from the darkness.  
  
"Do ye need help?" the man asked, an accent appearing from the air.  
  
"No, and you can leave. We know where she is now." The mans hand tremor suddenly ceased. Quickly his hand closed the gap between itself and the crease. In one violent motion he held the falling crease, as well as the remainder of his false features, in his hand. He dropped them and smashed them with disgust on the floor.  
The man in the mirror no longer resembled the smiling ancient man of moments before. Instead, surrounded by shadow, stood a man whose only distinguishing feature was the malice in his eyes.  
  
"I'll get her," he said reaching his hand into his pocket.  
  
"We all will. We'll get all of them," said the still hidden man. " Now finish up in here we're leaving" he left the room. The man at the mirror smiled and pulled a small object from his pocket. Though the light was dim it shined it's brilliant red.  
  
"She'll pay," he said to the shadows of the room. "Oh how she'll pay" he lifted the red object to his nose and inhaled deeply, smelling the damp fear that clung to his trophy of fading crimson hair.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The bald agent stormed in through the doors, startling his parents with the violent movements. Behind him the capped girl and round followed timidly, murmuring near silent apologies to the pushed aside adults. Even further behind them walked a blonde boy and Asian girl who held between them a girl of about five one with long crimson hair died brown at the end and two very different color eyes.  
  
"Hi Mrs. Uno!" remarked the asian happily as they half dragged half walked the girl towards the center of the house, towards the tree house in which they all lived.  
  
"Quiet Numbuh three" the blonde replied through a heavy Australian accent. The girl betwixt them sighed and rolled her dual colored eyes to the ceiling.  
  
"You'll regret this later" she said in a near singsong voice hinted with the barest of an accent, heavily suppressed. Numbuh four stopped and punched her in the stomach causing her to double over in what he mistook for pain.  
  
" Cruddy teenager, if my teammate can't talk what makes you think you can?" Numbuh ones mother opened her heavily lipsticked mouth to remark upon this behavior when her sons voice barreled down the stairs in an irritated fashion.  
  
"What is taking you three so long, get up here" in response the three ran to meet the annoyed leader at the top step.  
  
"Take her to the sick room, lock the doors and get to the briefing room." The two agents paused to absorb this information while their ward stared boredly at her feet.  
  
"I don't know if you heard me correctly, I said" he paused and smiled at the bubbly raven-haired girl who responded with a radiant smile of her own. The bald boys smile quickly grew to a frown and lines creased his previously sleek face.  
  
" I- mean- NOW!" he shouted into her confused cheer.  
  
The red head sighed loudly prompting a screamed response from the irate Numbuh one.  
  
" What, teenager?" he screamed at her. Freeing her hand from the blonds grip, she wiped her face.  
  
"Say it don't spray it," she murmured under her breath. Numbuh four grabbed immediately for her hand and, once it was under control, turned towards the sickbay dragging the girls with him.  
  
For a few moments Numbuh one stared after their retreating forms, shaking his clean-shaven head at the scene he had just experienced. It was difficult to believe he was to be leaving this all behind in three months, with the advent of his thirteenth birthday. Very difficult.  
  
"Yo boss!" a smooth voice called from behind him, disrupting his thoughts. The bald boy turned to find himself bumping noses with Numbuh five. Both children blushed deeply and stepped back from one another.  
  
" Yes Numbuh five?" he asked after regaining composure. The African American girl, still mid-blush, giggled lightly.  
  
" We've been trying to get your attention for five minutes, what were you thinking about.  
  
The bald agent sighed remembering his disrupted thoughts, and shook his head, clearing it of the memories. "Nothing, now what was so important that it merited my immediate attention?"  
  
"That fate girl was right," she responded as the walked down the short corridor to the briefing room, " we do have mail, and it's green." Numbuh one gasped at this revelation.  
  
"When's it dated?" he asked fatally, wondering how they might have missed the important invoice.  
  
" Don't know, can't exactly get into your computer without the password" Numbuh one looked down sheepishly, embarrassed at having forgotten such an important fact. " I mean I could have hacked into the mainframe but-" she was cut off by pounding feet as Numbuhs' three and four screeched passed them in the hallway.  
  
"I'll beat you Numbuh three," the blond shouted rounding past them. The Asian didn't respond to his taunt, preferring instead to place her energy an extra burst of speed as she sprinted past him, beating him into the room.  
  
"Maybe next time" she replied to his stunned face.  
  
"Perhaps we should just go" Numbuh five continued, but her leader was already in the room calling the mail to the screen.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Sang sighed and looked about the room in which she had been deposited. Its small grey interior was crowded by the two small pieces of furniture that lay on either side of the room. On the far left, three feet from the rug upon which she sat, was a stark white hospital bed, complete with a IV stand and medical records clip board hanging over the edge. She chuckled to herself and turned her attention to the only other piece of furniture; a small white table piled with crayons and paper. For a brief moment she contemplated crossing the small expanse of the room to actually draw a picture, a pleasure she hadn't enjoyed since she was five, but was saved from such falls of grace with her phones ring.  
  
The infernal sound echoed loudly in the small shut room and she clamped her pale hands over her ears to stop it from ringing in her head as well cursing violently she dug about her pocket for the instrument of torture and, upon finding it wrapped in a piece of string, answered it in an effort to stop the racket.  
  
'Yo" she called into the renewed silence. Her annoyance at being in the small area faded within a moment's conversation.  
  
"Judgment!" she squealed happily, gloominess fading from her dual eyes. As quickly as it faded, however, the darkness returned, stronger then before.  
  
"I don't know they locked me in some room" she paused before recanting in annoyance " it's small, and white, and unpleasant" an uneasy silence once again filled the room before she exploded in passion " no, they haven't seen the mail! Why would I be in this little hell if they'd seen the mail?"  
  
The voice on the other ended of the phone murmured an amused question into her waiting ear, eliciting another bout of annoyance " well of course I can get out of here if I want, I figure ten minutes and I'll go" the figure looked down at her watch, and then back at the four white walls which surrounded her, then back at her watch.  
  
" You know," she said into the phone impatiently, " when I said ten minutes I meant more like," she looked back to her watch and paused as though counting the seconds in her head " more like two" a slow chuckle emitted from the phone and she laughed along with it. " Yeah I know, you know me too well, got to go see you in three months"  
  
She moved as though to end conversation when, suddenly, she spoke aloud again. " Yes I know today is their anniversary. And I know I'll miss ours, but I'll make it up to you" she winked, though she knew the voice on the phone couldn't see her, and hung up permitting no further conversation.  
  
Letting out a large sigh she leaned her face against the rooms cool white wall. " Ten years." She said aloud to no one in particular, a tear drifting from her eye, as she absentmindedly fingered the shortened strand of hair that hung to her chin. " Ten whole years." Another moment passed in the tense silence before she began to examine the room for escape.  
  
"Air tight, no openings that I could break, no- excuse me, what do we have here" she ran her hand along the far wall noting a difference in texture between three feet and up, and three feet and below. Acting on a hunch she pushed her face against the wall and was able to see a small room with an open door.  
  
"Two way mirror? Score" she said aloud to no one in particular as she crossed the room. In one motion she had picked up the table and threw in to the glass, shattering the window into mirrored fragments and spraying herself with glass.  
  
"They'll forgive me," she said taking her bag through the window and leaving the room. " They'll have too."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The five friends stared at each other in complete shock, silence settled upon them in an uninvited shroud while they waited for their leaders recovery.  
  
" Numbuh five thinks we should go let that girl out," the capped agent said once she found her tongue. Gradually the other four came to agree with her.  
  
"Right Numbuh four would you care to lead the way?" Numbuh one asked as they filed out of the room.  
  
"Sure" the blonde agent replied as he helped the raven-haired girl from her seat. "Sure" the five filed quietly from the room and, absorbed in their own thoughts, didn't pay attention as they walked through familiar hallways they would soon leave behind.  
  
Meanwhile a certain crimson haired sixteen year old wandered hallways uncertainly looking for the team she had just finished beating up, or, at the very least, a shower. Needless to say the confusion of the two parties led to a very unfortunate collision. Both the blonde and the teenager fell to the ground, after crashing into other head on, and began cursing in languages that seemed slight variations on the other.  
  
" Bloody Aussie" the teenager cried, picking herself up off the ground " have no sense to watch where you walk?" her voice escalated with each word in the sentence. The blonde replied to the insult without thinking to solidify his reasons for screaming  
  
" Cruddy Kiwi" he muttered back at her " a kangaroo has more brainpower" the two glared at each other while the others blinked back confusion.  
  
There was no additional speech until Numbuh three asked, somewhat confused:  
  
"Kiwi? Like the bird?"  
  
"No" Numbuh four replied with disgust " like the New Zealander"  
  
" At least I'm not some brain-dead aussie" she responded dangerously.  
  
"Right, well" Numbuh one said uneasily, drawing Sang's attention back to the rest of the team.  
  
" Oh well I suppose your all wondering how I got out?" she asked looking at their blank faces  
  
" Well actually that hadn't occurred to me, save it for later" Numbuh one replied still looking at the teenager eagerly.  
  
"Oh then you've seen the email" the kids next door nodded, confirming her suspicion, " I suppose the melodramatic cretin came on screen and said some thing to the extent of" she puffed out her chest and coughed, lowering her voice to a more boyish tone, " hi I'm Numbuh two seventy four, many of my friends know me as Chad. But I have another name, a third name that only my closest friends know bed by. Only problem is they're all dead" Numbuh one nodded, prompting her to continue her rant.  
  
" Then he gave you some sort of an extension of your time as kids next door members" at this Numbuh five shook her head.  
  
" Numbuh five heard him say that at Numbuh one's thirteenth it was all or nothing-" "He didn't" the crimson haired girl said, annoyed, but knew it to be so by the teams sad expressions " he did?" she asked incredulously. Again the entirety of them nodded sadly and she sighed. " Well he at least explained why I'm here right?" she looked down at their blank faces and knew she had a long night ahead of her, after such a long trip. She sighed lightly and resolved herself to the mission.  
  
"Well can I at least have a shower before we do this?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jysella: Would you look at that, I wrote an explanatory chapter without explaining a thing  
  
Numbuh four: woo, I bow before your intelligence.  
  
Jysella: wow, you know Numbuh five I really like this helmet  
  
Numbuh five: Numbuh five knew you would  
  
Jysella: just one question, when are it's effects permanent?  
  
Numbuh five: Numbuh five don't know, Sachi ran off with the instructions  
  
Audience of delusions: ::cringes:: you had to go and mention her  
  
Jysella: where'd you go Sachi, I'll return your pixi stix if you come back  
  
Numbuh five:: all of them?  
  
Jysella: well, no, some of them- I'm serious though, Sachi where are you  
  
~*~*~*~*Scene cuts to Egypt where Sachi-chan is standing over a blonde Egyptian boy  
wearing the aforementioned helmet~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sachi-chan: take that Malik-chan  
  
Malik, a boy that looks suspiciously like Osirus ::author coughs repeatedly, screaming that it was by accident:: is groveling at Sachi's feet while she smirks, proudly holding the stolen instruction manual. Beside her Shadi, his white turban replaced by the all too familiar helmet, meekly stands with a plate of pixi stix. Bakura, a psychopathic grave robber, stands behind her barely containing bemused giggles.  
  
~*~*~*~*~ scene returns to the authoress and her shortened rant~*~*~*  
  
Jysella: oh, that's where she is, well then  
  
Numbuh five: ooh, she's never coming back  
  
Jysella: yup, audience take it away I have to go, ahh, sulk, yes, sulk :: calls travel agent::  
  
Audience of delusions: read and review or the authoress won't write  
  
Jysella: what do you mean all flights to Egypt are booked? This is Sachi's doing I know it! Hold on- don't call them, you don't even know me! how can you call them 


End file.
